It has heretofore been a common practice in the art to mount cellular telephones and similar accessories directly on accessible areas of an automobile instrument panel and/or a center console (i.e., the console positioned between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat of the automobile). Recent trends in automotive designs have, however, resulted in a diminution of available mounting space for cellular telephones and available accessories.
In efforts to create more space for mounting telephones and/or other accessories, some installers have used mounting brackets for attaching telephone and/or other accessories to the side of the automobile center console. Such mounting brackets are typically attached to the center console by way of screws or bolts. Thus, if it is subsequently desired to remove the telephone or other accessory, extraction of the screws or bolts leaves unsightly holes in visible portions of the center console.
The Applicant has previously disclosed a device for mounting cellular telephones adjacent to the center console without the need to insert screws or bolts into the console. In Applicant's prior invention, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/470,723, filed Jan. 26, 1990, and entitled "Automotive Telephone Mounting Device", Applicant has disclosed a device that retractably engages the finished portion of the console without requiring unsightly holes in visible portions of the console. The device is secured to the console by means of screws extending through the underlying center hump through the carpet. Thus, removal of the telephone supporting device does not result in any unsightly holes in the finished portion of the console, leaving only a hole in the floor board hump which is typically unobservable through the carpet nap.
Accordingly, Applicant's prior device satisfies the need for a telephone supporting device which can be removed without leaving any visible damage in the center console. However, many car owners prefer that the telephone supporting device be removable without leaving any screw holes, even in the underlying floor board hump. In response to this particular need, Applicant has also previously disclosed a device for mounting cellular telephones adjacent to the center console without the need to insert screws or bolts to the underlying floor board hump. In this prior invention of Applicant, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/724,586, filed Jul. 1, 1991 and entitled Telephone Supporting Device, Applicant has disclosed a device that engages the finished portion of the console without requiring holes in the underlying floor board hump. The device comprises a coupling member adhesively secured to the console and a housing sized and configured to be secured upon the console and in detachable engagement with the coupling member. Thus, installation of the telephone supporting device to the console does not require the utilization of any screws or bolts since the supporting device is affixed to the console via the utilization of an adhesive.
Though this particular prior device of Applicant satisfies need for a telephone supporting device which can be removed without leaving any visible damage to the center console and without leaving any screw holes in the underlying floor board hump, there still exists the need for removing the adhesive applied to the visible surfaces of the console. This particular procedure is often times difficult and time-consuming and generally requires the use of certain types of chemicals to facilitate the removal of the adhesive. Applicant's present invention is designed to provide a telephone supporting device which can be secured and removed without the need for any screws or bolts and without the need for any adhesives, while being effective to securely engage the telephone supporting device to the center console.